1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to cushioning and/or supportive inserts that are placed inside of shoes. More specifically, the present invention relates to a flexible insert that is specially adapted to be inserted in a high heel shoe.
2. Description of the Prior Art
At one time or another, nearly every person experiences one or more of the problems associated with uncomfortable footwear such as heel strike, lack of arch support, or pinched toes. Such discomforts typically stem from the fact that most people have feet which differ from the ideal shape and because shoes are ordinarily mass produced and therefore can only be made to accommodate the shape and structure of average feet.
Over the years, a number of prior art shoe inserts have been developed to help alleviate the above discomforts that many people experience from wearing shoes.
The above discomforts are further aggravated where the person is wearing high heel shoes because such shoes unnaturally elevate the person in the heel or calcaneus area of the foot. Notwithstanding the inherent discomfort associated with high heel shoes, many women choose to wear such shoes in order to enhance the apparent length and slenderness of their legs.
Although the prior art provides an abundant number of shoe inserts, most are unsuited for use with high heels because of slippage of the wearer's foot or the insert itself or because they occupy too much space in the limited toe area of the high heel shoe. Some inserts offer little more than odor removal.
While there are existing inserts that have been specifically designed for use with high heels, such inserts have proven to be unsatisfactory. For instance, one insert (sold under the tradename "DR. SCHOLL'S") consists only of a heel cushion and provides no arch support. Another high heel insert known to this inventor is sold by Biomechanical Composites Company under the tradename "FOOT MATES." While the "FOOT MATES" insert does provide arch support, the insert is made out of rigid graphite with a thin layer of suede and is relatively expensive. Hence, the insert offers little cushioning and in fact may itself contribute to the need for cushioning. Moreover, since the "FOOT MATES" insert is rigid, a further problem is that it must be manufactured in a variety of fixed sizes.